Dollars and Sense: Estate Planning

We know it's not the most uplifting topic, but you don't have to be 65 or older, a billionaire or suffering from a fatal illness to make a plan for what will happen to your assets when you die. Regardless of age, wealth or health, everyone could stand some estate-planning tips. So -- do you know what to include in a will? How to shield your assets from the gift tax? Read on to enlighten yourself.

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Question 1 of 20

How old do you have to be to write a will?

there is no age minimum

18

Most states require that the testator of a will be 18 years old.

21

25

35

Question 2 of 20

What's the document that outlines your health care wishes in case of severe injury or illness?

living will

A living will states, among other things, if you would want to be kept alive mechanically if you were to be declared brain dead.

residuary clause

reciprocal will

Question 3 of 20

What's the word for dying without a will?

ibidem

in terrorum

intestate

Many people die intestate, or without a will. In that case, the state distributes your assets.

in extenso

Question 4 of 20

What's something that should NOT be included in a will?

instructions for foster children

special gifts of personal property

life insurance beneficiaries

Details about life insurance policies should be restricted to the policies themselves. Putting them in the will could cause delays and tax disadvantages.

Question 5 of 20

What happens if you give someone power of attorney but not durable power of attorney?

Your will becomes null and void.

It goes out of effect if you become incapacitated.

Someone with durable power of attorney can help you if you become incapacitated. "Regular" power of attorney doesn't cover that situation, so it would go out of effect. Your will remains valid, though.

Question 6 of 20

Are oral wills valid in most states?

yes

no

Oral wills are valid in about 20 states -- but there are limited circumstances.

Question 7 of 20

Is a certain income level necessary if you want to set up a trust for your children?

yes

You don't have to be a millionaire to set up a trust for your kids, but it's more beneficial if you have an estate worth more than $100,000. If your estate is worth more than that, your case will probably have to go through probate court if you haven't set up a trust.

no

Question 8 of 20

How much could the probate process cost?

1 to 2 percent of your estate's value

2 to 4 percent

You'll probably be able to save about 2 to 4 percent of your estate's value (not to mention a lot of time) if your case can avoid the probate process.

4 to 6 percent

6 to 8 percent

Question 9 of 20

What's the name for the person in charge of a trust's assets?

trustee

The trustee is the one in charge of the assests. The grantor is the person who sets up the trust.

grantor

trustor

Question 10 of 20

True or false: The gift tax is higher on estates willed to children than to grandchildren.

true

false

The gift tax is actually higher if you're leaving assets to grandchildren.

Question 11 of 20

Willed assets that aren't put into trusts are subject to a federal gift tax. The gift tax can get as high as 46 percent on estates worth more than this amount.

$1 million

$2 million

$3 million

$4 million

If you're worth more than $4 million, a whopping 46 percent of that will go to Uncle Sam -- unless you take advantage of trusts and loopholes.

$5 million

Question 12 of 20

You can also minimize taxes on your estate by making gifts to your heirs while you're still alive. What are these gifts called?

intra muros

inter alia

inter vivos

"Inter vivos" means "among the living," so it refers to gifts passed between living people, as opposed to an inheritance.

Question 13 of 20

What's the maximum inter vivos gift a person can give -- tax-free -- to another person each year?

$6,000

$12,000

One individual can give gifts totalling $12,000 per year to another individual. Double that for married couples.

$18,000

$24,000

Question 14 of 20

What's a codicil?

a stipulation in a will that voids it in certain conditions

a written amendment to a will

A codicil is an amendment to a will -- it can be a tiny change or a major overhaul.

the introductory part of a will

Question 15 of 20

Which of these items is NOT usually part of an estate plan?

will

trust

prenuptial agreements

If you have a prenuptial agreement, it would be taken into consideration when you die, but it's not included in the estate-planning process.

power of attorney assignment

health care proxy

Question 16 of 20

Can you bequeath assets to a beneficiary on a condition -- say, that he or she quits smoking or graduates from college?

yes

Yes, you can stipulate just about anything.

no

Question 17 of 20

Which of these is NOT a type of will?

self-probating

deathbed

self-fulfilling

You thought it was holographic, didn't you? Nope, holographic wills are real. Self-fulfilling was the fake.

holographic

oral

Question 18 of 20

What is a holographic will?

a new type of will sealed in a hologram

an informal, handwritten will

It's nothing high-tech -- just a will written by the testator, often with no witnesses. They're valid in most states.

a will that's beamed onto a wall

Question 19 of 20

True or false: All states prohibit spouses from being completely cut off in a will.

true

That is true. Unless you have a prenuptial agreement to the contrary, you can't totally cut off your spouse in your will.

false

Question 20 of 20

What famous playwright included a contest in his will that called for his fortune to be given to the person who successfully created a new alphabet?

Noel Coward

Anton Chekov

Oscar Wilde

George Bernard Shaw

George Bernard Shaw came up with this crazy idea. An Englishman named Kingsley Read shared the prize money with four other contestants among 400 entries.